Sembcorp opens new electricity and steam plant

Sembcorp Industries opened a $635 million co-generation plant on Jurong Island on Friday, its second in Singapore. The plant, which began operating at the start of last month, generates electricity for the national grid and produces steam for industrial companies on Jurong Island, Sembcorp said in a press release. The company also opened a new technology and innovation centre near the plant, which it said was for Sembcorp researchers and engineers to develop and test new technologies. Mr S. Iswaran, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, said at the opening ceremony on Jurong Island that Sembcorp’s new plant “will further boost the capacity and reliability of Singapore’s power and steam supply”. “It is important for the public and private sectors to continue to work together to ensure that the energy sector keeps pace with our growing needs,” said Mr Iswaran, who is also Second Minister for Home Affairs and Trade and Industry. Mr Tang Kin Fei, group president and chief executive of Sembcorp, said at the ceremony that the plant, called Sembcorp Cogen @ Banyan, is a gas-fired co-generation plant that can supply 400MW of power and 200 tonnes per hour of process steam.

This facility increases Sembcorp’s installed power capacity in Singapore by 50 per cent to 1,215MW, he added. Mr Tang said the new technology and innovation centre would have a system that allows the firm to manage its energy and water facilities in 50 locations around the world from Singapore. “It will put Sembcorp at the forefront of using predictive analytics in the operation of utility plants.” Mr Iswaran said that Sembcorp and the local energy market regulator would launch a $10 million partnership to encourage the commercialisation of energy research. More details of Sembcorp’s partnership with the Energy Market Authority will be released later, he said.